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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Snake in the Grass (Good Gods #2) by Staci Hart

Welcome to the blog fellow book lovers! Today we're here to
share in the excitement of Staci Hart's new release, the highly
anticipated book two of her Good Gods series; SNAKE in the GRASS. We've
got a post jam packed with AWESOME... An excerpt, deets on both books in
the series, my review AND our own GIVEAWAY!!! We've made it easy for
you this time around, simply COMMENT on this post for a chance at a FREE
ecopy of SinG. Please be sure your comment is relevant to the post.
Random.org will pick our winner a week from today! GOOD LUCK!!!

Before we send you off to the yumminess, I want to thank
Staci for granting me the ARC for review, and Tabby at IMR Blog Tours
for hosting this blast. ENJOY! HAPPY READING! ~Shell

It’s Round Two of high stakes Love Connection on Olympus, and this time, everything has changed. For Aphrodite, at least.Ares
is on deck, and Aphrodite is nervous. As much as she loves to hook up
with him, she doesn’t trust him as far as she could throw him, which
isn’t very far. He’s a big dude. They haven’t been together in a very
long time, but she can’t resist him. She never could. Even when every
part of her screamed that he was a liar.Ares has a plan to keep
Aphrodite, for good this time. He wants to win the game, but he’ll hold
back to get what he wants. He’s sitting on a chance that he’s been
waiting thousands of years for, and he’ll do what he has to do to
convince her to stay forever.The only thing that could stop him
is the secret that he’s been keeping from her for eons. If she finds
out, it will destroy everything.Kat and Dillon have been through
a lot, and everything has been to protect their younger siblings. They
have sacrificed everything to make sure their brother and sister are
safe. The players are tough and loyal. Fierce and determined. But they
become each other’s weakness, even though they fight it, and even though
it means danger for Kat and her sister. If Aphrodite can get
the players over their egos and issues long enough to see that they’re
meant for each other, the competition will be a piece of cake. One that
she’ll eat a la mode, right in front of Ares, if she beats him.

Dillon parked in
front of MacLennan’s and stepped out of the car. He looked up at the
green and gold pub sign with a small four-leaf clover next to the name.
They hadn’t been there in forever, since Brian liked to tour Brooklyn’s
Irish pub circuit, to “keep it fresh.” He walked up to the door with his
hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket, his grey hoodie
hanging out of the neck, and Owen walked behind him with his collar
flipped against the cold.

Dillon hated these after parties. He
didn’t drink. Drinking made him too unpredictable. On top of that, he
was always wiped out after fights. He’d much prefer to be home, but
there was no way around it. The bigger he got, the more people expected
to see him after a fight.

Brain said that it was all about PR. If
the people who bet on him got to hang out with him, they’d be more
likely to bet on him again. But the attention was too much for Dillon.
He was honored that so many people wanted to wish him well, but the
whole ordeal exhausted him.

He grabbed the brass handle to the
pub door and gave Owen a look before pulling it open. The sound of music
and people hit him like a wave, which surged once the crowd saw him and
exploded into cheers. He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. The
crowd parted, and Brian stepped through to him, grinning.

“Took
you long enough. Come on, this way.” Brian turned, and the crowd opened
up to let him through. They called Dillon’s name, some slapped him on
the back. A few tried to hand him drinks, which he graciously turned
down, and followed Brian to the bar with Owen in his wake.

They
reached the long bar, all mahogany and brass, and the minute he sat
down, a small pack of girls led by a bleached blond pushed their way in
next to him.

“Hey, Dillon. Congrats on the fight.” Her glossy
lips turned up in a smile, and she batted her mascara heavy lashes at
him. She squeezed in close and laid her hand on his forearm.

“Thanks, Jessica.” He slid his arm out from under her hand and turned to Owen.

She
poked out her lip for a split second, then pasted her smile back on and
tried again. She pressed her arm against his as she leaned over the bar
and shoved her breasts together. “So, you gonna buy a girl a drink?”

Dillon’s
gaze swept over her cleavage spilling out of her low-cut shirt and he
rolled his eyes. “You should ask Brian. He’s in charge of rounds.”

Her lip popped out again, and her cheeks flushed. A brunette next to her gave her a nudge and whispered something to her.

Jessica
put on a seductive smile and slipped her hand down to his thigh. “Come
on, Dillon.” Her words were sugary sweet. “For old time’s sake?”

Dillon
looked her over again, his jaw set. “There weren’t ever any ‘old
times’.” He turned in his stool and jerked his chin at Brian. “Hey, Bri.
Jessica wants a drink. Can you help her out with that?”

Brian
snickered. “Yeah, come on, Jess. The bartender’s down here. What are you
drinking?” He draped his arm over her shoulders and steered her away.
She looked back at Dillon, blowing him up with her eyes with her cronies
on her heel.

Owen laughed and shook his head. “God, she never quits.”

“If I had known she was crazy, I never would have hooked up with her.”

“She’s
not just crazy, she’s the queen of the asylum.” Owen leaned over the
bar. “Damn, what does it take to get a drink around here?” Owen flagged
his hand behind the bar.

A girl bent down behind the bar, hidden
by a sheet of long, black hair, and when she stood up and turned to face
him, all the breath left Dillon’s lungs.

His eyes met hers,
intense and gray-green, lined with thick, black lashes. He traced the
bridge of her long nose, over the tiny freckles sprinkled across it and
onto her flushed apple cheeks. Her rosy lips were full and parted, and
his gaze lingered there before pulling back to her eyes, snapping his to
hers like magnets.

Owen’s face ping-ponged between the two,
amused as they stared at each other. The noise in the bar was almost
deafening, but the two of them were still and quiet, two unmoving points
in an ocean of people.

Dillon shook himself, and she did the same. She turned to Owen. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear what you ordered.”

Owen cocked a smile, his eyes on his brother as he answered, “Uh, Guinness. Thanks.”

“And for you?” Her voice was smoke and fire, and she turned to Dillon again, he swallowed hard.

“Just water,” he said, his eyes fixed on hers.

“Sure,” she said and turned to walk to the taps, looking back over her shoulder at Dillon.

He watched her walk away, and Owen gave him a sly smile.

Dillon blinked a few times as his brow dropped. “What?”

“Nothing.” Owen smirked and turned back to the girl.

She
came back a moment later and set their drinks down. Owen pulled out his
wallet, but she put her hands up. “This goes on Brian’s tab.”

Owen snorted. “Right, Brian’s tab. Hey, what’s your name?”

She stood tall and confident, with her eyes on Dillon, and his on hers. “I’m Kat.”

“Yeah,
I heard.” She cracked a smile, and Dillon’s heart beat a little faster.
“Brian’s been talking you up for the last hour.” Someone shouted to her
from the other end of the bar. “Nice to meet you,” she said casually
and turned to the mob.

Kat blinked a few times as she walked
away. For a second, she had been connected to him, his eyes holding her
captive like a snake charmer, and she couldn’t look away. Her brows knit
together while she poured a drink, trying to understand what happened.
She glanced back over at him and found his eyes on her. The bruise on
his jaw was dark, and he had a small cut under his eye. His lips were
full and wide, and the bottom one was split. He looked at her fiercely,
and she flushed, dropping her eyes back to the drink in front of her.

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life
-- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag
designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom; she has three
little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a
wife; even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's
also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey.
Her favorite word starts with f, ends with k, and there a uc in there. Just
saying. From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California,
Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north,
in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not
writing, she's sleeping, cleaning, or designing graphics. But let's be honest,
she's mostly writing.

I love this series. Absolutely love it. The mythology. The
creativity. The humor. The fashion. The opulence. The romance. The
steamy sex. Even the darkness. SNAKE in the GRASS is Ares' story. It is a
tale of human nature at its worst and passion at its most powerful. And
it's HOT!

It's Ares' turn to play with, ahem... I mean against our
sweet, irresistible, and unbeatable Aphrodite. Is he up for the
challenge? Can Dita continue to resist the pull to be near him, or will
she give in to her own desires? Can either of them stay focused on the
game? And what of our players, Kat and Dillon? Holy moly.

Make sure you're buckled in, SitG is one intense, twisted,
volatile, sexy-ass ride. Unlike our sweet, artistic Lexi and rocker
heartthrob Dean's love affair in Deer in the Headlights, this one is a
real hot mess. Dita's got her work cut out for her when Ares uses all
his dirty little tricks to win the competition and her love. Of course
she won't go down without a fight- and maybe a little... ah yeah,
anyway...

Like Deer in the Headlights, this tale is wildly fun and
sexy. But it is most definitely a darker telling. After all Ares is the
god of war. He enjoys mayhem, a good fight, and thinks nothing of his
manipulations. It's all simply a means to an end. It certainly makes for
a complicated and exciting game. But what I found most interesting
about this installment was how closely the four resembled each other.
Now it's hard for me to explain that statement without giving too much
away, but let me continue by saying each of them are not afraid of risk
or danger- unless we're talking about their hearts. They've sacrificed
much. And punish themselves needlessly. Well, not necessarily our gods.
There you'll find plenty of guilt, blame and suspicion. Suffice to say,
Kat and Dillon have chosen to live dark, painful, and unfulfilling
lives. They want and need nothing more than to find true love but
they're far too afraid to reach for it. With their combined track
records it seems near impossible to achieve.

Never fear though, Dita is the goddess of love for goodness sakes. She's yet to lose, and she's got a few tricks of her own.
Her first and likely most effective play? Enter Kiki and Owen. Kat's
sister and Dillon's brother. Mix a little romance of their own and some
sibling intervention and you've got...
well you've got manipulation on another level- and at it's best. Both
Kat and Dillon are fiercely protective of their younger sibs and will do
anything to ensure their safety and happiness, so of course their paths
must cross. Perfect setup right?

Perfect on paper, but Kat and Dillon's first meeting
doesn't go so well. Or the second. Or... you get the idea. These two
hotheads have an obvious attraction but they can't take down their walls
long enough to have a simple conversation. Tempers flair, insults fly,
apologies go awry. It looks like they may never come together. It's
frustrating for all involved.

This is all just one layer of Staci's second masterpiece.
The back stories for these characters add so much. Learning where they
come from, what they've been through, who they really are brings a
level of empathy, understanding, and hope.
We see the results of abuse and family expectations. That you can't run
away from your past. That every action has a consequence. That putting
up walls doesn't protect anyone. I'm not sure it was Staci's intention
here, but she teaches you life lessons amidst all the muck.

Beyond that... the characters are as vibrant and likeable
as ever. Each set of siblings are amazing together. So much love and
respect- even though they harbor secrets. Kiki and Owen are delightful
and freaking adorable. Kat and Dillon- strong, determined, and so
completely right for each other you want to jump in and smack their
heads together, and say, OPEN YOUR FREAKING EYES and get over it all!!!

So who wins? Does love prevail? Do Dita and Ares find
common ground and rekindle their affair? Can anyone truly leave the past
behind? There are several twists,jaw dropping surprises, and harsh
revelations to keep you guessing and glued to the page. And with TWO
swoon-worthy hotties- who couldn't be more opposite, you can't go wrong.
If you're not drooling over both (seriously!) you'll most definitely be
panting for one of these beautiful boys.

My conclusion? Like I really need to add more???? Fine,
I'll indulge you... Snake in the Grass is another brilliant, touching,
thought provoking, frenzied fucking thrill ride. I. Ate. It. Up. So, if
you like your romance original, SMEXY, twisted, torn, AND mixed with
Greek mythology, I'm pretty sure you will too. This series is off the
charts kick ass fun. And, YES (!!!), I'm already stalking Staci for the
next book.

Book 1 in the series...(and yes...it is best for you to read them in order...)

What do the Greek gods do when they're bored? Because
they're always bored, so humans are the perfect players in their games.

Aphrodite owns love; she hasn't lost a competition on her
turf in over three millennia. Apollo is on a mission to win. He's counting on
it to finally get the one woman he's never been able to have. The two gods will
choose their human players, and if Aphrodite can't get them together before the
clock runs out, Apollo will get his way. And Aphrodite couldn't have that.

Lex and Dean are perfect for each other, they just don't
know it yet. Dean is a perpetual bachelor, and a brooding, beautiful rock star.
Lex is always with a man, but she'll never fully give herself up. Aphrodite has
her work cut out for her, but if she can't make it work, no one can.

The gods have their own drama. Apollo killed Aphrodite's
mortal love - they've got beef that's been dragging on for thousands of years.
Ares, the douchebag, is forever trying to pick a fight, and trying to get
Aphrodite into bed. And Persephone, Aphrodite's best friend, is the one person
who Aphrodite shares everything with.

Follow the gods as they fight, laugh, cry, lose, love, gain power, and make a mess with
humans.

I'm not usually one to read books about gods (I think I may have overdone it with the genre when I was younger), but I have heard such AMAZING things about this series! The excerpt was tantilizing... it definitely has a more modern feel than the gods books I've read in the past. I am dying to give it a try! Thank you for the giveaway!

I like the concept of the gods in modern life coping with modern couples. There was some of this happening in Sherilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters. I loved that series and it looks like I've found another series like hers. If it is half as good as the Dark Hunters of kenyon, I'll be right there waiting for the next and the next books in the series to come out.

Sherrilyn's is much more of a paranormal with a lot of action. There's most certainly action here but a very different type of action and style of book. You can check out the first book for free on Amazon and see if it's up your alley. My friend Chantal is a HUGE fan of the Dark Hunters series. She even named one of her sons after Acheron. ;)

Staci!!! Let me tell you all- this woman is not only a brilliant writer and gifted artist, she's also a most warm, funny and AMAZING person. Thank you so much for making me laugh, cry and feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It means so much that you dropped by to share with our readers. Love you bunches, girlfriend! xxx ~S

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